


If it means a lot to you

by PastelPinkDahlia



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: First Time, Fix-It, Fluff, M/M, Smut, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 05:50:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10938294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelPinkDahlia/pseuds/PastelPinkDahlia
Summary: When the Sheriff's kid falls in love with the gang member, they both know they're destined to part ways eventually. But it's the time they have left before the inevitable end that counts and they're both willing to make the most of it.





	1. A pair of star-cross’d lovers

**Author's Note:**

> I actually wanted to wait a little longer until I post this, but as you can see I have no self-control and love sharing my work so here you go, get ready for multiple chapters of tooth-rotting Joavin fluff. Mainly fluff. Some smut. Maybe. But here's the first chapter and we'll start right at the beginning.

I was easy to read, I was sure of that.  
Holding my tongue had never been much of a problem for me, at least not when it actually came to important things. It was my face that needed fixing, because every little emotion found its way right onto my features without me even noticing.  
Just like right now.

I was hundred percent positive that the guy in front of me had seen all of my feelings flicker over my face and I wasn’t really sure if that was a good thing, because one of these feelings had definitely been fear.

My hand trembled slightly around the popcorn bag that I was still clutching tightly. I didn’t even know what kind of courageous spirit had possessed me when I had stood up to shush the Serpents who were seated behind us, disturbing our “cinematic experience” as Veronica had put it so eloquently. Of course my weak endeavour hadn’t resulted in anything good, except in the ice cold stare I had received from that one (devilishly handsome) Serpent sitting right at the front. The Serpent that right now was staring me down again.

“Not so tough without your beard, huh?” he smirked and I couldn’t help but swallow. Only half in fear, as I had to admit later. However he was right, I really didn’t feel any kind of bravery anymore without Ronnie by my side and he knew it just as well as I did.

When I look back at it now, I don’t even remember how it happened anymore. One second we were standing face to face in front of the food truck, ten seconds later he had grabbed me by the cuff of my jacket and yanked me into a dark alley.

I was scared and being the Sheriff’s kid this didn’t happen too often, but in this moment I really was scared shitless. I mean, who wouldn’t be? I had pissed off the local biker gang and just got pushed against a fence by a greasy haired thug. I expected the rest of the Serpents to arrive any second now to beat me to a pulp, but…they never came.

Instead, the dark-haired guy came closer, invading my personal space, holding me up by my jacket. His gaze was fixed upon me and I couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes seemed to be almost silver in the moonlight and the way he licked his lips when he glanced down at mine.

I drew a shaky breath. “What-“, I tried to say, but as if my words had caused something to boil inside him, he suddenly yanked me forward, steely eyes burning with passion while he crashed his lips onto mine.

The world went completely quiet. My mind was blank all of a sudden, desperately trying to process what was happening here. I had expected him to beat me, to humiliate me, to rat me out to his gang members. I had certainly not expected this. But this was better.

Involuntarily my eyes fluttered close while I slowly started to enjoy the kiss. The guy seemed to notice, because his grip on my jacket loosened a little. Slowly, almost in a shy manner, my hands found their way up his waist to end up tangled in his long hair. I had kissed other guys before, many of them and I had never been shy or uncertain while doing it. But with him I was. Maybe it was because I didn’t know him and he still might beat me up afterwards, maybe it was because he fully dominated the kiss, his tongue claiming my mouth in a way that I might have considered too harsh with any other person. Frankly I didn’t care. All I could do was feel, enjoy the way his light stubble brushed against my skin, the way his hand inched slowly under my t-shirt to grip my waist and pull me closer.

I felt light-headed, dizzy even when he broke the kiss. His face seemed blurry, only these silver eyes of him were crystal clear. I blinked a few times, sucking in the cool air.

“You liked that”, he stated matter-of-factly, eyes roaming all over my body. “I…I need to go back to…my friends”, I managed to stammer, feeling my body heat up under his stare. That gorgeous smirk was playing around his lips again when he came closer until his nose nearly brushed against mine. “That was not the correct answer”, he whispered, his voice rough before his lips were on mine again.

I had to suppress a quiet moan. This was everything my younger self had ever imagined and more. Well, maybe not the gang member part, but he looked devilishly hot in this ripped black jacket so I would be able to forgive that.

I felt myself deepen the kiss, leaning into his touch. As far as I was concerned, this moment could have lasted forever, but there was still a voice in the back of my head that reminded me of Veronica who was probably ready to stab Cheryl off the truck by now. Reluctantly I pulled away.

“This time I really need to go”, I said, half amazed by how steady my voice sounded even though my head was still dizzy and my knees wobbly.

The guy chuckled and pulled me in for another short kiss. “I’m Joaquin, by the way.”  
God, his voice drove me crazy. It was in this moment that I knew I had to see him again, no matter what it took. I wanted him.

“Give me your phone.” I sounded breathless, but he still obeyed without a word, handing it over to me. As quickly as I could with my fingers still trembling, I created a new contact with my name and number. “This is my number”, I pressed the phone back against his chest, “Use it.” And god, how I prayed that he would.

Joaquin glanced down at the screen, his features going blank for a moment before he looked up again, discomfort suddenly visible in his eyes. “Keller? As in, as in…Sheriff Keller?”  
I swallowed. Of course there would be something, I never had it easy. But I wanted this guy, more than any other before him and I was determined to make this work.

“Is that a problem?” I asked, sounding much tougher than I actually felt. Joaquin looked away, avoiding my eye for a few seconds, before he suddenly yanked his sleeve upwards. “Is this a problem?” he mimicked me.

I sucked in a sharp breath. It wasn’t such a big surprise anymore that he was somehow connected to the Southside Serpents, but seeing the proof that he was actually part of them right there tattooed onto his forearm was still a bit...unsettling.

But still, I wanted him. Maybe I wasn’t thinking straight or there were too many hormones flowing though my veins, but in this moment I really couldn’t care less. We could make this work. I didn’t care how, but we could. And just like that my decision was made.  
“I won’t tell if you won’t.”

A content smile stretched on Joaquin’s face before he kissed me again. I prayed that this wouldn’t be the last kiss we shared.


	2. Love is a smoke rais’d with the fume of sighs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys wanted Joavin fluff that happens between the episodes, so here you go - part one of our favorite ship's first date. Enjoy!

Joaquin.  
I don’t remember anymore how many times I’ve said that name in my head in the last week or how many times I said it out loud, disturbing the silence in my room while enjoying the flutter in my stomach every time I did.

I couldn’t think of anyone else, the kiss at the Drive-In replaying again and again in front of my eyes. And with every passing day, I was getting more anxious. He had my name and number, I had nothing except his first name. It was completely up to him when we would see each other again, hell even **if** we would meet again was his decision. And with every long, dreary hour spent at school, I wondered more if he was going to text me at all.

I wasn’t accustomed to all of this dating kind of stuff. I had never had a real boyfriend, all the hook-ups with other guys had been just that and to be honest, I had never really wanted more than that from any of the others. But I did from him.

Which was exactly why I was pacing up and down my room on a Sunday afternoon, not knowing what to do with myself. I was bored and feeling antsy, but also didn’t feel like doing anything productive. Whenever I had tried to study in this last week, my mind had wandered off to a certain black-haired Serpent and every focus I had had was gone.

So what I did was sitting in front of my laptop, just wasting my time without doing anything remotely interesting, checking if I had any new texts every ten minutes. A habit which I had started to develop in the last few days. Of course it had led to nothing good, the only thing coming out of it was me jumping every time my phone buzzed just to be disappointed when it was a text from Veronica.

It was like I was obsessed with the guy and even though I had had crushes before (I mean, we all had), this time it was…more. I had googled his name, searched my way through all kinds of social media sites – nothing. It seemed like Joaquin only existed in my memories. I was dying to talk to someone, to just tell someone about what had happened at the Drive-In and to be able to ask when it was appropriate to text someone after making out and to ask what I should do with all of my feelings for this boy. But I knew I shouldn’t.

The thought brought me to another issue I had been stressing about these days – the fact, that I had made out with a gang member who probably meant trouble since he recognized my Dad’s name so quickly. Speaking of whom, Dad would kill me if he knew. Of course he would be delighted that I had finally found a boyfriend at first, but this boyfriend being Joaquin…he wouldn’t be so fond of him, I was sure of that.

So the only thing I could do was replay every second I had had with the kid in my head and try not to go crazy while I waited for his call. Which was exactly what I was trying to do this Sunday afternoon. I had just decided to give my phone a rest for half an hour, because the battery was low anyway when it buzzed in my hand while I was frantically searching for the charger. I jumped, as usual.

Immediately I pressed the home button, my eyes darting to the new notification from an unknown number. My heart skipped a beat. I was still scrambling to climb on my bed and pluck in the charger while my other hand quickly unlocked my phone and tapped on the message. I took a deep breath and read.

**Hi, it’s Joaquin, remember? You free today?**

It took every ounce of discipline I had to not jump up to the ceiling and scream in delight. What kind of question was that, how the hell could I not remember that pretty face and hot mouth of him? I just wanted to start typing when I paused. Did you reply to a text like that immediately or did you make the other one wait? I really didn’t know anything about all of this dating crap. But I had already opened the message and I knew that he could see so I just thought ‘Screw it, I’ve waited long enough for this!’ and replied straight away.

**Of course I remember and I am. You wanna meet up?**

My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest any second now. I had waited the whole last week for this and now it felt almost too good to be true that he might actually wanted to spend time with me. It was now that I realized how scared I had really been that he just wouldn’t text and I’d never see him again. A smile spread on my face when I felt my phone buzz again. Apparently he also didn’t give a shit about letting the other wait a certain amount of time.

**Sure thing. Can you be at Pop’s parking lot in 30?**

I almost squealed. Not only because I was happy that he actually wanted to see me, but also because I was glad he had suggested a neutral place. I hadn’t really thought about all of this until now, but I had no idea where to go on a date in Riverdale. My place was out of bounds obviously since we couldn’t risk letting my father see us and I guessed the same applied to his. So we would have to meet somewhere in town and frankly, I didn’t know where the Serpents spent their free time and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know at all. So I appreciated it a lot that Joaquin had suggested a place that I knew and felt comfortable at.

**I can and will be. See you then.**

I almost couldn’t contain my excitement as I jumped up from my bed and raced to my wardrobe. I didn’t really know what Joaquin had planned for us to do (or if he had something planned at all) so I just quickly changed into a tight pair of jeans and retrieved one of my older pullovers from the depths of my closet in case it got too cold in just the thin sweater I was wearing.

I gave myself a last once-over in my bedroom mirror, brushed a few strands of my hair back just to tousle them up again and took a deep breath. I was going to see Joaquin again in 25 minutes. It really seemed too good to be true and my stomach twisted half in anticipation and half in fear. “You can do this, Kevin. He wants you”, I reassured myself before grabbing my phone and shoving it in my pocket. Let’s go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always - leave me a comment if you spot mistakes and I hope you enjoyed nervous Kevin!


	3. I have more care to stay than will to go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go with the real part of our first date, yay! What I want so say before you start reading is just that I have no idea what the landscape around Riverdale looks like so everything here is a wild guess, just like Joaquin's age (I wish we knew this about him though). Apart from that - I hope you enjoy how this goes! :)

I arrived in front of Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe exactly 15 minutes later. I knew I was early, but that just gave me time to calm my nerves, because by now I was sweating and as nervous as I hadn’t been in a very long time. I tried telling myself that it was just a date and that I was usually good at meeting guys, but the only thought that raced through my mind was “But this is Joaquin so everything is different”.  
At the roar of a motorcycle slowly getting louder I shivered. So this was it.

I turned around, looking down the street and sure enough there he was, perched on his motorcycle, his black hair blowing in the wind underneath the helmet. I swallowed and gave myself a mental squeeze. I could do this. Just a date.

Joaquin came to a halt a few foot in front of me, lifting his helmet and giving me that gorgeous smirk I had fallen for so hard. “Hi Kevin”, he simply said, waiting for me to come closer and I did, gladly. “Good to see you again, Joaquin”, I managed to say, stopping right next to him. I wanted to kiss him so badly and I knew he wanted it too if the way his eyes flickered to my lips for a second was anything to go by.

“Jump on”, he commanded, pointing at the empty spot behind him on his motorcycle. My feelings must have been written all over my face again, because he grinned and added “You’re getting the helmet.”

I felt my stomach churn. I had never been on a motorcycle, let alone with a guy I barely knew who was involved in gang activities. But it seemed like whenever I was with Joaquin, all of my doubts and probably also my common sense disappeared in the fraction of a second, leaving me feeling powerful and brave.

I settled behind him, letting him close the chin strap. My skin prickled where he touched it and I was almost completely sure that he could have done this faster, but pressed his fingers against my cheek and throat just to tease me.

Finally we were seated, my arms around his waist and my heart nearly collapsing from beating too fast. “Ready?” his rough voice asked and I couldn’t do anything but nod, before I felt the engine roaring to life underneath me. My mouth went dry.

It was the most amazing thing in the world. My heart nearly exploded out of my chest after we had turned and slowly gained speed, driving down the long even road that led out of town. It felt so deliciously dangerous to feel the wind on my body, it made me aware of how fast we were going, something you never fully realized in the safety of a car.

The trees flew past me and I couldn’t do anything but clutch at Joaquin’s jacket and stare in awe. After a while I even dared to move one hand away from his body to open the shield of my helmet. His hair was blown into my face every now and again and I smelled nothing but leather, motor oil and him while the familiar landscape of Riverdale’s outskirts became a blur.

Much too early we slowed down to turn into a narrow path that led into the forest which surrounded Riverdale. Joaquin stopped at a crossroad, letting the motor die.  
He helped me off the motorcycle and opened the helmet for me, letting his thumb accidentally brush over my lower lip in the process.

“How’d you like it?” he asked and I needed a moment to understand what he meant. The slip of his finger had distracted me. “This was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done”, I declared and couldn’t hide the smile on my face. Joaquin’s lip twitched too. “I’m glad you enjoyed the ride, everything else would have been a real bummer.”

I was just opening my mouth to reply when he pushed me lightly, making me stumble backwards a few steps until my back hit a tree. Joaquin’s face was inches away from mine when he breathed “I’ve wanted to do this since I saw you standing on that parking lot”. I only had a second to process his words before his lips found mine and his tongue started to explore my mouth. My knees turned weak and suddenly I was very grateful that Joaquin held me up against the tree. My hands intuitively found their way into his hair again, pulling him as close as possible so I could breathe in his gorgeous smell while we kissed.

I don’t know for how long we just stood there, it felt like we had all the time in the world, because finally we could take our time without anything else on our minds or the fear that someone might see us. It was probably only ten minutes of kissing, but I felt like my whole world had been shifted in its angles.

When we finally pulled away, we were both out of breath and Joaquin’s pupils were dilated, just like mine probably. I had never felt more at ease with the world than in this moment, like I was capable of doing anything with him by my side. It was intoxicating.

Wordlessly Joaquin took my hand and led me down one side of the crossroad around a corner. I hadn’t realized until now, but we were at the point where Sweetwater River met the lake just outside of town. Joaquin let himself fall into the grass right at the lake’s edge, pulling me down beside him. For a moment we just sat in silence, both enjoying the calmness of the nature surrounding us. Usually I found being quiet at a date awkward, because I always felt obligated to keep the conversation going. Strangely, this wasn’t the case with Joaquin. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence that reeked of unspoken words or broken promises, it was just a content silence that existed merely because we both didn’t have anything to say that would have explained what we felt adequately. 

Finally he turned towards me, looking at me with such intensity that I felt like I had to catch fire under his gaze. Now I noticed that his eyes were actually light blue and not at all the silvery shade they had appeared to be in the night we had met.

“So, the Sheriff’s son, huh”, Joaquin broke the silence. I didn’t really know if it was a question or just him thinking out loud, but I replied anyway. “Yeah, my dad is…good though. He’s often outside somewhere or in his office, but when he’s at home…he’s good.”

I had watched Joaquin’s expression carefully while I spoke, because I didn’t know how he would react, but he never did anything else than listen intently. “How do you know him anyway?” I asked. It was something that had bothered me since the Drive-In, because of course it was natural to know the Sheriff’s name, but Joaquin had looked so uneasy and uncomfortable at reading it that I suspected there was more to it.

My assumption proved to be correct, because the moment I asked the question, Joaquin’s gaze dropped and he avoided my eye. “Just met him a few times here and there, nothing big”, he answered, plucking a few blades of grass out of the soil. I didn’t believe a word of what he was saying, but I let it rest. Obviously he didn’t want to talk about it.

I waited for him to say something else, but he didn’t so I took it as a cue to ask him about another thing that had been on my mind for days. “Joaquin?” He looked at me again, curiously this time. “How old are you?”

A huge grin spread on his face and I couldn’t help but admire how beautiful he looked when he smiled like that. “Is that really what you want to know first? You could ask me anything and I would have expected you to bombard with me all kinds of questions and this is what you go for? I like you, Kevin Keller.”

I blushed. Not only because I was a little embarrassed that actually yes, this was important to me, but also because of this last sentence that he had said quickly and with a low chuckle but that still made me feel like I could burst with happiness.

“But if it means a lot to you...I’m 20”, he finally replied, giving me a warm smile. I simply nodded. So he was older than me, which I had already guessed, but definitely not too old. I liked that.

It seemed like my question had made Joaquin relax a little more and I realized that he had probably been just as nervous as me. And I could understand now, it wasn’t only me who was on a date with a gang member, it was also him who was here with a high school kid. We were both scared of the reactions of our friends and that realization made me feel even deeper affection for him. After all, he was here, despite all of our differences. **That** meant a lot to me.

As if Joaquin had had similar thoughts, he raised his head and looked right into my eyes. My stomach fluttered nervously. “Do you really want to do this?” he asked and even though his voice was steady I could sense that he was scared of my answer. I didn’t care how cliché and corny all of this was when I took his hand in mine. “I do. I never wanted anything more than for us to work out and I don’t care how we’ll do it, but I hope we will. I really want you, Joaquin, everything about you.” I paused, my heart beating faster and faster. I didn’t know if this was the right moment for this or if any moment was right since I had never done this. But I felt like if I waited another breath, I might not do it, so…

“Will you be my boyfriend?” My words were quiet, stumbling over each other in my haste to get them out, but Joaquin had understood me just fine, I saw it in the way his eyebrows twitched slightly.

Looking back at it now, it took Joaquin only a few seconds to reply, but in this moment these seconds felt like hours and I felt like I was floating just above the ground, ready to fall and crash if he said no.

“Of course I want to be your boyfriend, Preppy”, he grinned and I didn’t float anymore, I felt like I was lifted up, soaring higher and higher. I couldn’t help the huge smile that spread on my face as I leaned over and kissed him. Not as hard as he usually did, but softly. Because from now on nothing would ever be the same again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boyfriends, whoo! As always, I hope you liked what you read and I also hope that I got the few motorcycle words right, because English isn't my mother tongue and I had to ask my boyfriend (who drives a motorcycle) what they meant so I really hope I used them in the right context and you didn't notice any mistakes.


	4. O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!

I coughed again and grimaced at the pain erupting in my chest. I had been sick for a few days now and I hated it. Not only that I couldn’t go to school (which was only bad, because I was missing out on the latest gossip), I had also not seen my friends in days, because my Dad was being a little overprotective and had announced that I should rest and not see anyone until I felt better. Which led to the worst part of it all – I hadn’t seen Joaquin in a week.

We had been together for about three weeks now and until now we had always found a way to see each other regularly, because apparently I wasn’t the only one who was obsessed with the other. However seeing each other nearly every day (even if it was just for a quick kiss under the bridge that connected the Southside to my part of town) had led to me missing Joaquin quite badly by now. Of course we were texting a lot – okay maybe I was the one doing most of the texting, because I was bored deadly in my bed while Joaquin did who knows what – but this just didn’t help the ache in my chest whenever I thought of his blue eyes.

I jumped when a knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. My dad was standing in the doorway holding a tray with what I assumed was tea. I sighed. I was sick of tea.

“Mind if I come in?” he asked, although he was already shutting the door behind him and walking towards the bed. I merely shrugged. Usually I got on quite well with Dad, but during these last few days in which his face was the only one I saw all day, I had gotten a little cranky and annoyed with him. Maybe also because I missed my boyfriend. But mainly because I was bored and sick of seeing no one but him.

“What is it, Kevin? You don’t look happy”, he said while sitting down my bed. I swear I was usually well-behaved, but even I had a breaking point. “Oh well, nothing except the fact that I’m in bed all day and I’m bored and you don’t even let my friends see me. Apart from that everything is just peachy.”

Dad rolled his eyes. “You know it’s for your own good, Kevin. And probably also your friends’ since they would all end up sick too if they came here.” I knew that this was a reasonable argument, but when you miss your boyfriend as badly as I did on that day, you are not open to reasonable arguments anymore. “But it sucks being all alone here, I don’t know what to do all day and I feel terrible and no one’s here to distract me and I-“ missed Joaquin. I didn’t say that however, luckily. I didn’t even know why I wanted to say it in the first place, I knew that this relationship was nothing I would like to discuss with my father, but it had kind of slipped out in my anger.

“Please, Kevin, would you try to behave like the 17-year-old you are and not like a bratty pre-schooler?” Dad sounded annoyed, but I didn’t even care. I just stared at my wall, ignoring his presence. I saw him shaking his head with a sigh out of the corner of my eye, before he got up and left, leaving me alone with the tea.

I relaxed back into my pillow, exhaling. I was beyond grateful that he hadn’t asked what I meant to say, even though I had the feeling that he was already suspecting something. He had asked me about my friends a lot in the last three weeks and he had always mentioned how happy I looked. Of course I had never said anything, but I had caught him staring at me when he thought I wouldn’t notice and I feared that it was only a matter of time until he would ask me straight up if I had boyfriend.

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, opening Joaquin’s latest message again. He had texted me around lunch that he expected a busy day and had to deal with some stuff in the evening. He didn’t need to elaborate for me to know that he was on some sort of snake duties so I didn’t ask what he did all day. But it was nearly nine by now, much too early to sleep and I was bored and frustrated so I decided to give it a try and text him. Maybe I’d get a reply before I went to sleep.

Just as I started typing, I saw the three little dots appear and I nearly cried in delight. Maybe I was a little lucky after all. I stopped writing and waited for his message.

**You like Shakespeare?**

What the hell, Joaquin. I furrowed my brows involuntarily. What on earth did he mean with this text? I read it again, but this didn’t help me understand it even a bit. Just as I typed a “What’s this supposed to mean?” I heard it. A quiet little clank at my window, as if a tiny pebble had been thrown against it. I sat up straight in my bed, ignoring the dizziness in my head from the fast movement. Peeling myself out my blanket as quickly as I could, I stumbled over to my window, which faced the backyard. And of course there he was, standing right in front of my room, looking up at me through his black hair.

I couldn’t help smiling like a fool when I watched Joaquin climb the oak tree – which had thankfully been planted right next to our house – in confident strides. I was already offering him my hand to help him inside, when he stopped suddenly. I raised an eyebrow in confusion. Joaquin just smiled and held up a hand, motioning for me to wait a moment while he seemed to be thinking about something.

Finally he looked at me again. “But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” I didn’t know if I was supposed to laugh or cry at his sweet foolishness and just shook my head, grinning widely. “Did you learn this by heart just to use it here?” I asked while I finally helped him through the window. Joaquin laughed quietly, “Of course I did, Juliet.” 

When we were finally both inside the safety of my room and I had closed the window again, I turned to face him. It was a strange picture, seeing him in his roughed up leather jacket standing in the middle of my teenage room. It did not fit at all, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Joaquin seemed to have similar thoughts, his eyes wandering around the room, taking in every photograph or poster he could see, a slight smile playing around his lips.

Finally his eyes settled on me and I felt my knees getting weak under his stare. “How are you feeling, Kev?” he wanted to know, concern clear in his voice. I shrugged. “Not really well, but definitely better now that you are here.” Joaquin’s smile widened as he picked up the blanket that I had left on the floor so carelessly when he arrived. “That’s good to hear, but you still shouldn’t be standing there, getting cold. Get back into bed”, he ordered. I rolled my eyes which earned me a playful smack when I walked past him, but I obeyed and settled between my pillows again, pulling Joaquin down next to me.

It was only then when he sat down beside me, wrapping me up in the blanket that I noticed the fresh bruises on his knuckles. One of them was still slightly bloody. Joaquin noticed me staring and quickly pulled away his hand, avoiding my eye. I knew that this was probably the result of the “stuff” he had had to deal with this evening and therefore was Serpent business and certainly not mine, but I still grasped his hand carefully, pulling it up to my lips before I kissed every one of his fingers.

I saw the light blush rising in my boyfriend’s cheeks and I saw the way he looked at me with big vulnerable eyes. “You…you aren’t mad?” he asked quietly. I shook my head. “No. I knew what I was getting into right from the start, didn’t I?” I replied, giving him a warm smile and it was true, I had known that he was a gang member from the moment I first set eyes on him and I had also known that he would do what everyone else in the gang did. He wasn’t an exception just because he was mine and I didn’t expect him to. “Just take care of yourself, okay?” I whispered, still holding his hand and tracing patterns onto its back. Joaquin nodded and then he leaned over and kissed me, slowly and softly, not caring about the fact that I was sick or that my nose was running or that he would certainly get infected too.

“I’m glad I came”, he murmured into the kiss and I could only nod, because I was just as glad as he was, probably even more so. It was when he pulled away and my eyes opened again, taking in his face and the familiar surroundings of my room that I realized that he was the first boy to be here, in my house, in my room, with me, like that. I gave him another short kiss. I could definitely get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter filled with pure fluff and also the little Shakespeare quote (as if you didn't see that coming with those chapter titles, I know). So I hope you're happy with the way this is played out and if you're not - feel free to tell me (also if you are of course). :)


	5. I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo here we go with Chapter 5 and I'm pretty excited about what you guys will think about it, so enjoy!

“Two cheeseburgers and a milkshake, please”, I ordered. Pop nodded and disappeared to start on the food while I cast a worried glance at Joaquin. He was sitting in a booth and looked paler by the minute, currently searching for a fresh handkerchief.  
Not even a week had passed since he had visited me in my room, climbing though the window, but it was enough time for me to finally get my health back – thankfully or else I would have gone crazy locked inside the house – and obviously also enough time for him to get sick too. I bet he was sick, because he had kissed me that night and I felt a little guilty about it, although he had said he wouldn’t mind. I still felt obligated to take care of him which was why I had insisted he waited inside the Chocklit Shoppe instead of in the car where he would get cold.

Joaquin felt me looking at him with big, worried eyes and he gave me a warm smile as if to say that he was alright. I was still staring at my boyfriend when a hand on my shoulder suddenly made me jump and turn around. Oh hell no.

“Kevin, hi! What are you doing here, I thought you didn’t have time today?” Betty chirped happily, Jughead behind her giving me a nod. This really was the worst thing to ever happen to me and I felt myself panicking, because of course I had told her that I didn’t have time, because I was on a date with my boyfriend that she knew nothing about. Crap.

“Uh, yeah, I…I was just quickly picking up food before I’m heading home to…study”, I invented wildly. I saw in Betty’s eyes that she didn’t believe a word of what I was saying, but thank god she didn’t ask anything else, because Jughead chose this moment to raise his voice. “I’ll be right back, just saw someone I know”, he said and then he had already turned around, walking right in the direction of…oh hell no, part two.

With wide eyes I watched how Jughead approached the booth Joaquin was seated in and how he sat down right across from him and how they shook each other’s hands and smiled. What on earth was going on here?

Luckily Betty was also staring so for once she didn’t talk and I had time to process what was happening in front of my eyes. Did Jughead and Joaquin…know each other? And suddenly I felt like the dumbest person in the world, because I had never even considered the possibility that a gang member might know the gang leader’s son. I was so stupid.

“Do you know who that is? Looks shady if you ask me.” Betty had found her voice again, great. I was frantically searching for an answer when Pop called my name and handed me the cheeseburgers and the milkshake. Finally I could get out of here. Well, at least if Joaquin was done talking to Jughead soon. Apparently they got along quite well. So well that he wasn’t even looking over to me when I cleared my throat. Luckily I wasn’t jealous. At least that’s what I kept telling myself while I watched them laugh together. Okay, now this was enough.

“Will you excuse me for a second, Bets?” I asked, not even waiting for her reply before I grabbed the food and marched over to their table. I didn’t give a damn anymore that we wanted to keep this relationship a secret, enough was enough. Betty was my best friend and Jughead probably wouldn’t even care since he knew Joaquin well enough (or so it seemed) so my decision was made. I slid into the booth right next to Joaquin, resting my hand on his thigh in an obvious movement. 

“I didn’t know you guys knew each other”, I stated sweetly. Now it was Jughead’s turn to stare while I smiled at him and Joaquin squirmed uncomfortably. He could sense that I was jealous and I betted that he was torn between laughing at me and being scared of my reaction.

Finally Jughead swallowed. “I could say the same about you two, Kevin. How the hell do you know Joaquin?” His eyes still flickered from my boyfriend to me back to him. “Oh, we met at the Drive-In during the last screening. I really have to thank you, Jug, for insisting that we all go that evening – otherwise I would still be single now.”

I swear everything went quiet for a second. And then many things happened at once. Joaquin started coughing violently, Jughead’s foot slipped from where he had rested it on the bench and Betty screamed a “What did you just say” at my face. Of course she couldn’t stay, I had known she would follow me and hear everything I said.

To be honest, I was relieved. The secret was out and I was still alive. At least for now, judging from the look Joaquin threw me, I should appreciate this while I could.  
“So…you two are dating?” Betty still seemed overwhelmed, but she was already eyeing Joaquin with her typical “If you hurt him, I’ll kill you” type of stare. This time it was him who nodded, looking at Jughead apologetically. “We are, but actually we had agreed on keeping it on the low.” Now I received a dirty look. Totally not sorry.

“Well, now that the secret it out, I would like to go and eat with my boyfriend and just ask you two a little favour: please don’t tell anyone else yet, okay?” Jughead and Betty both nodded, mouths open as I grabbed Joaquin’s hand and pulled him out of Pop’s alongside me.

When we were on the parking lot, he turned to look at me, his expression a mixture of confusion and amusement. “What happened to ‘I won’t tell if you won’t’?” His voice sounded stern, but his eyes twinkled with laughter. I shrugged, a blush rising in my cheeks. “You were jealous, Preppy, admit it”, Joaquin teased and the worst thing was that he was right. Looking back, this had probably been pretty stupid, but I was also glad that Betty knew, because now I finally had someone to talk to.

“Look, Joaquin, I’m sorry. I didn’t really mean to blurt this out, especially not like that, but-“  
“Kevin, shut up. It’s okay. I don’t mind it all that much as long as your friends can keep their mouths shut about us. Don’t worry about it. Also it was rather cute how easily you get jealous.”

I really tried to look angry with him for teasing me about it, but I couldn’t, not with how he was smirking up at me through his long hair. “Just get your pretty ass in the car before you get cold out here, okay?” I smiled, shaking my head.

Joaquin laughed quietly, but obeyed, climbing into the passenger seat of my Dad’s pick-up. I had insisted on using this tonight instead of his motorbike, also out of fear that his cold might get worse due to the cool air. I settled on the driver’s seat, handing Joaquin the bag with the food before I started the engine, driving to the spot where we usually hung out. It was a hill just outside Riverdale, near the woods in which he had our second date. Nobody ever went up here, because the usual kissing spot for Riverdale teens was by Sweetwater River or somewhere where you could see the city lights. From our hill you could just see the blackness of the forest, but we liked it. Surrounded by darkness we felt safe.

“How do you even know Jughead?” I asked during the drive. I only saw it out of the corner of my eye, but Joaquin shrugged. “He’s FP’s son, so I think everyone of us knows at least his name and what he looks like. But we met a few times when I was over at FP’s place and we always talked a little and I don’t know…we just became friends. Sort of.”

I nodded. “Why were you at FP’s place so many times? Do you guys have regular meetings or something like that?” Joaquin laughed quietly, causing me to blush. “No, Preppy, gangs are not like in the movies.” I felt foolish for assuming that, but my boyfriend grabbed my hand on the gear lever and traced patterns on it with his thumb, showing me that he didn’t meant his teasing. I relaxed instantly.

“It’s just that…FP is the leader and I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but I am one of the youngest members of the Serpents. I don’t have anyone else but them and he…he’s like a father to me. He was the one who decided that they should take me even though I was underage at that time and I’ll always be grateful for that. He kind of kept me under his wing, showed me the ropes. He was great, really was.”

I wanted to say something and opened my mouth, but actually I didn’t even know what to say, which was unusual for me since I never shut up, but this…was different. I knew Joaquin a little by now, but every time he talked about things this personal, I never knew how to react. I guessed that he didn’t want sympathy so I just grabbed his hand a little tighter and turned at him and he reciprocated the look and gave me a tiny smile and that was it.

The rest of the drive was silence and when we arrived on the hill, we ate and shared the milkshake and I couldn’t help but notice how lucky I was. Maybe this wasn’t the way I had expected this evening to go, but I was happy nonetheless. I was here, with my boyfriend and finally my best friend knew about him too, even if it wasn’t planned. If you asked me things could stay like this for quite a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And just like that the secret it out and also...how do you like the fact that Joaquin knows Jughead? For me it felt so natural to write it this way, because honestly how unlikely is it that these two have really never seen each other? But let me know what you think, I'm excited to hear your thoughts!


	6. For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello again and first of all: I'm so sorry you had to wait so much longer than usual for this chapter, but I'm in the middle of graduating and prom is next week so I've got like a million things on my mind right now. But I still hope you haven't forgotten this story and enjoy this chapter! :)

“No way! I bet 5$ that he’ll notice and you get caught”, I grinned. Joaquin just shrugged and gave me a wink as if to say “Your fault if you lose the money” before he headed off in the direction of a tall middle-aged man in an expensive-looking grey suit.

I leant back on the park bench I was sitting on, watching the show. Joaquin was getting closer to the man who was standing by a bus stop, his phone in hand. I knew that my boyfriend was talented, but this was far too obvious – no crowd of people, no pushing and accidentally touching. This was just them and surely you would notice if someone stole something right out of your pocket. Right?!

Well, obviously not if the thief was Joaquin. I didn’t know how he had done it, I had watched him all the time and he just walked past the man, not even stopping or slowing down, he just passed him and then he was heading back to me, smirk on his face and wallet in his hand. I shook my head.

“How do you always do this? You’ve got to teach me your ways”, I said when he reached the bench again, flopping down next to me. Joaquin just laughed. “That’s nothing cute little high school boys should know, Preppy”, he replied with a teasing undertone.

I nudged his elbow, pretending to be offended, but he just laughed again and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. I just wanted to turn my head to kiss him properly when my phone buzzed. I quickly retrieved it from my pocket, always worried that it might be my dad who would get suspicious if I didn’t reply immediately. However, it was just a text by Archie and I already wanted to lock the screen again when I caught the first few words of it and my eyes widened.

**Kevin, I know you’ve got a Serpent boyfriend, think he could do me favour?**

How on earth did Archie know about Joaquin?! Speaking of whom, he must have noticed that something was off, because he was leaning over to me, trying to catch a glimpse of my phone. “Everything alright?” he asked.

I shook my head slowly. “No, not really. Somehow Archie knows we’re together and it sounds like he doesn’t mind, but he’s asking you for a favour and I don’t know what he’s talking about.” Joaquin raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. I knew that he was uncomfortable with too many people knowing about us, but the only persons who could have told Archie were Betty and Jughead. I felt anger rising in my chest. Were they really so incapable of keeping one damn secret?

I had never typed in Betty’s number quicker, impatiently waiting for her to answer the phone. “Kevin, hi, how are y-”, she finally said, but I interrupted her. “Did you tell Archie about Joaquin and me?” Her end was silent all of a sudden and I rolled my eyes. “You cannot be serious, Betty, you and Jug were the only people who knew and I wanted to keep it that way, how could you do this?”

I felt Joaquin lightly stroking my hand, I had not even noticed that I had gripped onto his. His action calmed me down a little bit, but still not enough to not be angry at Betty who was stuttering apologies into her phone. “You know what”, I interrupted her again, “maybe I should just not tell you secrets anymore, since you can’t keep them from your dear Archiekins. Bye.”

I let my head fall back and closed my eyes for a second when I had ended the call. Joaquin was there instantly, pulling me into his arms and pressing a light kiss to my forehead. “Don’t be so mad at her, Kevin”, he said quietly, “she’s still your best friend even though she screwed this up. Don’t let it bother you so much.”

I shrugged. I was still disappointed since I had really trusted Betty. “Doesn’t it bother you?” I asked. I felt Joaquin move slightly. “Of course it does. But you knew the rest of your friends would find out eventually, didn’t you?” This time I really sat up to look at him. “Joaquin? Why did you change your mind about that? You’re so calm and everything, I remember you saying that you don’t want people to know and that we should keep it down so nobody would get suspicious. Where did all of this go? Why are you so calm?”  
Joaquin avoided my eye for a moment, looking over my shoulder. “I…I don’t even know, I just started…thinking about everything after we met Betty and Jug a few days ago and…it wasn’t so bad, right? I’m proud to have you, Kevin and somehow I want people to know. I’m dying to tell someone, but you know I can’t so…I get how you must be feeling all the time with your friends around and not being able to talk. So I don’t really mind it all that much anymore. As long as you don’t scream it from the rooftops so the whole school knows…I’m fine.”

I felt a smile tug on my cheeks. He was proud to have me. I wanted to keep this sentence in my mind forever. I still hadn’t said anything, just sat there and stared right into these blue eyes and suddenly I felt my heart beating faster. The air between us seemed to have changed and I knew Joaquin could feel it too. I had never felt what I did with him before and therefore I had no idea how you did this, but in this moment it just felt so right that I thought I might explode if I didn’t get it out.

Still keeping eye contact, I reached for my boyfriend’s hand, holding it in mine. “You are amazing, Joaquin, really. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me and I…really like you.” I paused for a moment, watching how his lips parted slightly as if he was about to say something, but before he could get a sound out, I continued. “And that’s not really what I wanted to say, because…you’re more than that. I think…I love you.”

The words hung between us like a cloud that was getting thicker by the second. I saw Joaquin’s eyes widen for a moment and then he swallowed and then he leaned forward, one hand around my neck pulling me closer until his lips were right by my ear. “I think…I love you too, Kevin Keller” he whispered in that husky voice of his and I couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran down my back.

It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders with his words, with his confession that he felt the same about me as I did about him, something that had never happened before. I was used to hook-ups with guys who were afraid to hold my hand in public, who were afraid I’d tell anyone what had happened, who were just using me. I certainly wasn’t used to having deep feelings for somebody who actually reciprocated these feelings. This was new. And it felt better than anything before.

The kiss we shared on this bench after these words was the best kiss of my life. It was soft and gentle and filled with love, but still passionate enough to make me gasp into Joaquin’s mouth and pull his hair in the way that made him whine.

When we broke apart, we were both flushed and breathing hard, but smiling. Finally Joaquin reached for my phone, unlocking it.

“So, let’s ask your friend what he could possibly want from me. I mean, now that we love each other…your friends are my friends, right Preppy?”

I just grinned, shaking my head. As foolish as it was…his words made me so happy that I doubted I could ever be sad again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo tell me what you think! I don't know why but Joaquin being good at stealing stuff has been in my head forever so do you guys agree? Also we're slowly getting back to the actual plot with this chapter, because I hope you all have an idea of what Archie wants from our boys!


	7. Or bid me lurk where serpents are

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I promised myself to not leave you hanging for too long, here's the next chapter, I hope you guys like it! :)

“Just play it cool, just like we said. Keep eye contact to a minimum.”

I was so not cool with this and honestly, I didn’t even know why I had agreed to this stupid idea of Archie’s. I got that Joaquin wanted to be liked by my friends and that this was the reason he had actually said yes to Archie’s (unbelievably stupid!) plan, but even he must know that this was just bound to go wrong.

But if Archie Andrews wanted something then he got it and this was why we were standing in front of the Whyte Wyrm, a place I never thought I would enter and if my Dad knew what I was about to do, he would’ve came here and killed me on the spot.

But Archie looked ready to go. “Moose, if you see the guys that jumped you, we leave and we call Kevin’s dad.” Moose just nodded, looking about as unhappy as I felt. Great.  
But now there was no backing out of it anymore, I caught my boyfriend’s eye one last time for mental support and then he started walking towards the entrance, leading the way.

As soon as we were inside, I wanted to get out again. I felt more uncomfortable than ever before and I was sure that every single person in this bar was staring at me, noticing how out of place I looked with my neat clothes. I looked at Joaquin helplessly who just gave me a tiny smile. He was nervous too, I could sense it. But he hid it quite well in front of Archie and Moose.

I tried to appear confident while I followed the others deeper into the bar, however every whiff of confidence that I might have had disappeared when I followed Joaquin’s smirk to the large terrarium that held a yellow and white snake. Okay, now I really wanted to get out of here. How obsessed were these people that they actually kept snakes inside their bars? The places they got drunk in for god’s sake? Who did stuff like that?!

“We’re all gonna die”, I stated dryly, looking the snake right into the eye. I had never known that I was scared of snakes. Good thing I had learned that about me today.

Joaquin chuckled quietly, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the terrarium towards a pool table. “Wanna play?” he asked, already holding out a cue. I didn’t have much of a choice really, because I was already as uncomfortable as I could get and this seemed to be the only distraction from the snakes and shady people the bar had to offer, so I sighed and took the cue from him. Joaquin’s fingertips brushed mine in the process and he winked at me which actually made me feel a little better.

As soon as we played, I noticed that he was good and definitely not playing for the first time here. Usually I was pretty good myself, but the surroundings and the overall feeling of being watched got on my nerves so I missed shots that I would’ve normally holed in my sleep which resulted in Joaquin’s smug grin and a slightly arrogant “Pay up”. I already regretted having made a bet. I hadn’t know he’d be so good.

“I’m gonna get this back, right?” I asked. My boyfriend’s grin just widened. “You wish, Preppy.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes slightly at his smug attitude even though it was justified. Joaquin bent down again to aim the next stroke when I saw Archie out of the corner of my eye. And he was walking towards a Serpent. Oh hell no.

“Oh god”, was all I could say when I quickly laid down my cue to follow Joaquin, but it was already too late. Archie – who had just said mere minutes ago that when Moose recognized anyone, we would leave – had already tapped one of the Serpents on the shoulder. The man turned around, looking not at all pleased. This was exactly why the plan had been stupid.

“What, you got a death wish?” the Serpent asked and I heard the slight panic in Joaquin’s voice when he tried to prevent the inevitable. “Archie, back off!”

But Archie Andrews had his mind set and he wasn’t backing off anytime soon, on the contrary. “You like beating up teenagers?”  
I groaned inwardly. This was like a car crash, I wanted to look away – or run away for that matter – so badly, but I just couldn’t.

“This ain’t the first time one of you Bulldogs have come in here looking to cause trouble”, the man replied and I didn’t have time to think about what this meant before he pushed Archie away hard. Joaquin caught him just in time and that was the last thing I saw before strong hands gripped my arms and held them tight behind my back. Okay, now I was actually panicking and this was absolutely appropriate since the guy suddenly yanked Archie forward again, throwing him onto the pool table and raising his fist. Instinctively I closed my eyes, waiting for the blow. 

“Hey! Do not, Mustang! Let him go.”  
My eyes opened and I stared. I had never thought I would say this, but it felt like FP Jones was heaven-sent and I had never been happier to see him. Immediately the guy that had been holding my arms behind my back let go of me too and I happily took a step forward, away from him while I tried to catch Joaquin’s eyes. However he was also staring intently at FP, looking like a mixture of gratefulness and fear.

“I’ll take care of this.” I exhaled, relieved. I knew FP looked angry and Archie was probably scared now – he deserved it though, this had been his stupid plan after all! – but from everything Joaquin had told me I knew that FP wasn’t a bad guy. At least my boyfriend had never said a bad word about him so he wouldn’t hurt Archie, I guessed. Or I hoped.

FP motioned for us to get out of the bar and I obeyed happily, wanting to be back home more than anything right now. I waited for Joaquin to join us, but he just shook his head slightly and stayed where he was. God, I hoped that this didn’t mean trouble for him, because it was technically his fault that we had been here in the first place. I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile before I turned around and (finally!) left.

Moose was already running and I gladly joined him, just wanting to get to the Northside of town again as fast as possible. FP’s voice however made me stop for a moment. “Not you, Red. You stay.” I looked at Archie, unsure what to do. I really wanted to go, but I also felt bad for leaving him here, even though he deserved it. We were friends after all and if he needed me, I would stay. As if he could see my internal struggle, he caught my eye. “I’m good.” This was all the confirmation I needed and a moment later I was running alongside Moose, not stopping until we had finally reached the bridge and had crossed it to arrive in the Northside.

“So this guy was your boyfriend, huh?” Moose asked when we both came to a halt, panting. I nodded, having to take a few deep breaths before I could say something. “This guy is Joaquin and yes, he’s my boyfriend. Why are you asking?”  
I watched him shrug, looking for words. “Just thought that this kind of guy wouldn’t be your type. Maybe not the best people to be seen with.” I felt anger flaring in my chest. In the way he said it, it sounded like Joaquin was some sort of filthy scum that normal people didn’t even look at and it hurt me although it wasn’t even an insult in my direction.

“I don’t give a fuck who sees me with him, he’s my boyfriend and I’m proud of him, no matter what guys like you think about him or his friends. You should really stop acting so high and mighty, at least Joaquin has the guts to kiss me in public.”

Nothing in a long time had given me greater pleasure than watching Moose’s face while I talked. He already flinched when I swore, because I rarely ever did (even though my use of swearwords had increased since I knew Joaquin) and he looked more and more offended as I spoke. But I really couldn’t bring myself to care anymore. I was so done with guys like Moose and if somebody felt the need to insult my boyfriend then I would stand up for him happily. So I gave him one last condescending look before I turned away to walk home.

The way felt much longer than it usually did, because it was now that I really felt how exhausted I was. The adrenaline was starting to decrease and tiredness took over my body. I would have to sleep for a week to be truly over this experience, I guessed.

When I finally arrived home, I let myself flop onto my bed with a sigh, happy to finally be able to relax my strained muscles. I fished my phone out of my pockets, checking for new messages. Nothing. I was still a little worried about Joaquin, so I decided to text him. I would never forgive myself if he got in trouble for something that one of my idiotic friends had suggested.

**Is everything alright with you? Why’d you stay behind?**

I turned my phone to vibration so I wouldn’t miss his reply before I sunk into my pillow and closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion take over. This had been one hell of a day.

 

The buzz of my phone right next to my ear woke me up about an hour later. It was already dark outside and I had to blink a few times to not be blinded by the bright screen.

**Don’t worry about me, I’m good. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night x**

I smiled slightly, relieved that Joaquin was alright and didn’t seem to be angry at me or anything like that. I wanted to type a reply, but before I could hit ‘send’ I was already asleep again. This day would stay in my mind for a quite a long time, I was sure of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo tell me what you think about going back to the actual plot and also about Moose, because I really wasn't sure how to write him! I still hope you liked this one! :)


	8. These violent delights have violent ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy this short piece of school-inspired fluff!

“I hate it, I’ve never hated anything more than this stupid formula!”  
I was on the verge of a mental breakdown. I didn’t have anything against Einstein, but his theory of relativity drove me crazy, because I didn’t understand a word of what exactly it was about and why the formula that went along with it was so goddamn long and complicated.

Apparently Joaquin, who was perched on my bed didn’t share my struggle. He laughed quietly. “This is totally not funny, Joaquin, I need to pass this test on Wednesday and we’re already talking about Heisenberg while I haven’t even understood Einstein! Stop laughing and help me!” I complained, admittedly sounding like a bratty child, but I didn’t care anymore, physics had stolen every last piece of my dignity.

My boyfriend was still grinning widely, but at least he had stopped laughing out loud and grabbed one of my books that were scattered all over the desk. He skimmed one of the pages and quickly looked something up and then he turned to me. Meanwhile I had given up all hopes and just stared at him, thinking about how handsome he looked in his hoodie instead of the leather jacket and his hair falling messily into his face, because it was a Sunday and he had slept in my bed and hadn’t showered yet.

I was so engrossed in my study of his face that I almost missed that he had started talking. Only almost, because the word “Einstein” brought me such emotional pain that I couldn’t ignore it. Wait, what was he saying?

“…so this is why speed of light in a vacuum is irrespective of the movements of the source. It’s actually quite simple, isn’t it?” No. Not really. And that was what I said before I added “And why do you even know this, did you understand all of this stuff?”

Joaquin shrugged. “I don’t know, I just liked physics back in high school, it’s interesting. I had to look some things up, but all in all…yeah, I understand this.” And just when I thought that he couldn’t get any better, he said things like that. I had never known how much of a turn-on intelligence was for me.

“I didn’t know that about you, that’s cool, but…do you mind explaining all of this again?” I gave him my best puppy eyes and of course Joaquin smiled and nodded and started over. I swear I tried to listen, but it was just so hard when the topic was so boring, but the speaker looked so gorgeous. And he really did, his eyes shining brightly and his eyebrows twitching when he emphasized something important and his lips moving way too fast, because he tried to say too many things at the same time.

“Kevin? Are you still with me?” Joaquin’s voice made me jump a little, pulling me back to reality. “Yeah, of course, absolutely”, I replied quickly, not having the faintest idea what his last sentence had been. And of course he noticed, I had never been a good liar and I felt myself blushing when Joaquin closed the book and carefully put it back on the desk before he turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you telling me that you weren’t listening when I explained the most important part of your school career to you, Kevin Keller?” His voice sounded stern, but I saw the way he had to hold back a smile and how his eyes twinkled with amusement. I gave him the puppy eyes again, but this time they weren’t as effective, because I was suppressing my own laughter and Joaquin just shook his head. “No, this look is not going to get you everything you want! Come here and take a break and then we’ll start over, okay?”

I happily obeyed, scrambling onto the bed and right into his arms. A break from Einstein sounded heavenly right now. Also I could finally admire my boyfriend up close now and push back the strand of black hair that had fallen over his eye. Joaquin looked down on me with a soft smile. “Promise me that you’ll try to understand it again later?” he asked, his lips much too close to my neck to focus on his words properly. I nodded quickly, wanting to get the subject of school out of the way to get to the good part of this break. Luckily Joaquin seemed to be satisfied with my silent answer, because he cupped my face in his hands and pulled me closer to him, finally doing what I had been waiting for all this time.

I sighed into the kiss happily, this was how I imagined Sunday mornings to go, making out in bed and not despairing over physics. I let myself fall back onto my pillows, pulling Joaquin on top of me. His kiss turned more passionate, hands roaming under my t-shirt and pulling it over my head slowly. I was already breathing hard when his lips left mine to plant little kisses on my neck and I couldn’t hold back the quiet moan that escaped my throat when he bit me lightly just to kiss the spot afterwards. My hands tangled up in Joaquin’s hair as he readjusted his weight to push one of his legs between my thighs. I could feel that he liked this just as much as I did and decided it was time for him to lose some of his clothes as well so it was a matter of seconds until his hoodie found its place next to my t-shirt on the ground.

I had to bite back another moan when I felt Joaquin on top of me again, skin on skin. Nothing could ever be better than this feeling. I pulled him in for another kiss, biting his lower lip playfully which earned me a low growl from the back of his throat and a roll of his hips against mine that left both of us gasping for air. 

I had done these things with many other guys before, but with Joaquin it was always different, more intense. He made my stomach flutter with just a look and my lower body burn with just a touch and I loved the hazy feeling his kisses gave me. It was intoxicating.

Just as my hand started to travel down his body to open his belt, I suddenly froze in the middle of my movement. The unmistakable sound of the front door opening and the clinking of my dad’s keys could be heard faintly in the sudden silence of the room. Panic rose in my chest, but Joaquin was already off me and looking around the room hectically when I heard steps on the stairs. I quickly grabbed my t-shirt, throwing it back on while motioning for Joaquin to hide in the closet. A heartbeat after he had vanished between my clothes, my dad knocked on the door.

“Come in”, I said loudly, trying to keep my voice as flat and calm as possible and hiding my lower body under a blanket. Dad entered the room, looking tired. I knew that he had been working the night shift which was why Joaquin had stayed the night, but I hadn’t expected him to be home so early. “Home already?” I asked as nonchalantly as I could.  
“Yeah, they let me go an hour earlier, because a pipe broke at the station and nobody was able to work anyway. I just wanted to check on you before I go to bed. Everything okay?” I cursed the goddamn old building in which my Dad worked, but gave him a smile. “Yes, of course. I’m just studying physics.” I pointed towards the various books on my desk, hoping to create a busy atmosphere. Still he didn’t seem convinced, judging from the look on his face. However he seemed to be too exhausted to ask any more questions so he just nodded and turned around, heading towards his own bedroom.

I was already taking a deep, relieved breath when his head appeared in my door again. “By the way…you’re wearing your t-shirt backwards, Kevin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys aren't too frustrated with how this ended, because the next chapter might take a while, a little more than a week strictly speaking, because I'll be in London for the next week and won't have access to my laptop while I'm away. So we'll see each other when I'm back home and don't you forget about this little story while I'm gone! <3


	9. Which of you all will now deny to dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello again, I'm back home and of course this means a new chapter for all of you, yay!

“Do you really wanna wear this? We’ll be inside the whole evening”, I asked, eyeing my boyfriend in his leather jacket. I was sprawled out on the couch in his trailer, my feet resting on his coffee table, watching him rummage through his closet.

We had agreed to get ready for Jughead’s surprise party at his place, because my dad was home and I didn’t want Joaquin having to climb into my room and then out again just to meet me on the street. So I had agreed to meet him in the Southside of town even though I still felt a little wary in this neighbourhood, especially in the trailer park where he lived. I just didn’t fit into this part of town and that was clear to see so I always felt much better when we were in the safety of my home.

“I’m still gonna wear it, you never know what a night has in store”, Joaquin replied, giving me a wink. I raised an eyebrow. “We’re going to a small party, what’s supposed to happen there? It’s just me and my friends, remember?” My boyfriend just shrugged, holding out his hand for me and pulling me up from his couch. “I’ve been to many parties and if that taught me anything, then it is to always expect the worst.”

 

When we arrived at Archie’s house, we were greeted by him and Ethel, both already busy preparing the food and decorating the house. “Kevin, could you just quickly get this back into the fridge, I just finished the topping”, Ethel asked and handed me a cake without waiting for a reply, already vanishing around the next corner to do who knows what. I stared after her and then at the cake in my hands, Joaquin next to me chuckling quietly. “Well, could you at least help and open the fridge for me?” I sighed while still having to supress a smile. I loved the buzz that hung in the air before a surprise party.

Half an hour later everything was set up and ready and we were just waiting for Betty’s text telling us that they left, which could be any second now. “If it’s a double feature, does that mean I have time to go to the bathroom?” Ethel asked, sounding a little nervous. I checked the time, shaking my head. “I’d hold it, Ethel.”

I had just finished my sentence when we all turned around, hearing the front door open. Before we could even see a face, we were already shouting “Surprise!” just to be greeted by the typical Lodge eye roll and an annoyed “Do I look like Jughead to you?” Wow, somebody was definitely not in the mood to party here. I checked my phone again and finally saw the message we had been waiting for. “Betty just texted me”, I exclaimed happily, “they’re almost here!” It was only when I looked up again that I noticed Veronica standing right in front of us, eyeing my boyfriend.

“You’ve met Joaquin, right?” I asked, pointing from one to the other. Ronnie just gave him a tight smile, shaking his hand. “I haven’t had the pleasure.” Then, more quietly, she added in my direction “Also I thought it was inner circle only tonight?” I noticed the edge in her voice and I’d lie if I said that it didn’t hurt me a little. “Joaquin is my boyfriend. That makes him inner circle. Plus he knows Jughead anyway.”

Veronica just nodded and sighed quietly, she seemed stressed out and tense and as if she could sense my thoughts, she explained. “I just came from the most insane meeting with my dad’s lawyer. Between his upcoming hearing and his potential involvement in Jason’s murder, not to mention my mom’s, I’m in a foul mood.” I just wanted to reply, say something that would maybe cheer her up when Ethel’s voice could be heard.

“They’re really coming this time, everybody hide!” We all obeyed, me quickly disappearing around the corner, except for Veronica who really seemed to be done with the day and opened the liquor cabinet, murmuring something under her breath that I didn’t catch anymore.

I was counting the seconds in my head and just when I arrived at ten, the front door opened and this time it was really Jughead who entered, Betty right behind him. “Surprise!” I shouted for the second time this evening, leaving my hiding place. Jughead looked just as overwhelmed as I had imagined he would and I was still asking myself, if he would like Betty’s idea as much as she did while we were all congratulating him and he was brought the cake.

My worry was justified, because even though Joaquin and I stayed in the living room, we could still hear Betty and Jughead clearly from the kitchen and he didn’t sound too happy about all of this. I was sorry for Betty, she was my best friend after all and she really wanted Jug to be happy. My feelings must have been displayed on my face clearly, because Joaquin took my hand, tracing small patterns on it. “He’s gonna forgive her”, he said quietly, giving me a reassuring smile. Just when I wanted to say something else, the doorbell rang. I looked up, confused. We weren’t expecting anybody else and Archie’s dad was out of town so I was puzzled as to who could be behind that door.

My silent question was answered very loudly and flamboyantly by Cheryl Blossom who was standing in the doorway as if the house belonged to her. “Did you really think you could have a party without inviting moi?” she asked, looking as arrogant as ever, but still admittedly well-dressed. Oh god, this was all going downhill really fucking fast.

 

“No, Kevin, just do it like this – pour everything into your mouth, press your tongue down and then swallow hard, you don’t need multiple swigs for this shit!” Joaquin sat across from me, a glass of Whiskey in his hand, grinning widely. I tried, I really did, but for some strange reason I found it incredibly hard to drink a shot of Whiskey in one gulp, probably because it burned and frankly, it tasted disgusting so my body was probably trying to protect me by taking baby sips. However next to Joaquin who drank like he had done nothing else his whole life, it made me look like a ten-year-old and I was determined to change that. So I took a deep breath and tried again, this time really focusing on not swallowing before I had emptied the whole content of my shot glass into my mouth, breathing again and then I swallowed, my face turning to a grimace when the burn spread in my stomach. But I had actually done it, I had finally drank hard liquor the way you were supposed to.

“That’s my good boy”, Joaquin grinned, leaning in for a quick kiss. “Now let’s get you a glass of water, so you’re not completely wasted before it’s even midnight.” I just nodded, because he was right, I already felt slightly dizzy since I wasn’t used to drinking alcohol at all (and certainly not this much of it) so I was grateful that no matter how much Joaquin drank, he always seemed to stay sober and took care of me.

The kitchen was empty when we arrived, everybody else being in the living room or outside since the weather was extraordinarily nice for autumn and most people enjoyed the warm nights as much as they could before winter would come. I sat down on one of the bar stools in Archie’s kitchen while Joaquin searched through the cupboards, finding me a glass and filling it with water. He leaned against the counter across from me, watching me drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I really hope you liked my version of events! And I hope some of you will appreciate the tiny link to my other story "Not over you just yet", I know it has been requested that I write the scene and I just couldn't resist the temptation to put it in here.


	10. Where two raging fires meet together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello, I'm in an extraordinarily good mood, because Germany just legalized same-sex marriage this morning and I'm so happy for all of my friends who now have the same basic rights as I do. <3 So to celebrate this win, here's the next chapter for you guys, enjoy!

I couldn’t help but notice how good he looked tonight. I didn’t know if it was the alcohol or just the way his hair hung into his face, but when I finished my glass of water, I pulled him towards me by his hips, making him gasp before my lips crashed onto his. Joaquin seemed startled for a moment, but then he inched even closer and kissed me back just as fiercely, his hand coming to rest on my thigh, slowly moving upwards, causing me to shiver slightly. I really wanted this to go further, but Archie’s kitchen was definitely not the right place for that, so I pulled away, the kiss leaving me slightly out of breath.

“Do you ever go down to Sweetwater River?” I asked, looking up into Joaquin’s eyes. He raised his eyebrows, a playful smile on his lips. “For what? Fooling around?” I nodded, biting my lip involuntarily. Joaquin’s smile grew bigger. “Do you?” he asked back, his voice a mixture of curiosity and teasing. “I’ve been once or twice” I admitted, watching how his gaze immediately dropped down to my lips. He didn’t seem too opposed to the idea and I made a mental note of that before he was already leaning in for another kiss. I had already closed my eyes, awaiting his lips on mine when…

“Mm-mm-mm. You can cut the sexual tension in here with a knife.” I stood up quickly, turning around just to see FP Jones leaning against the doorframe, smirk on his lips while he watched us. I prayed that he hadn’t been standing there long enough to overhear our conversation, the thought alone made me blush slightly. Luckily FP didn’t seem to care about my reaction, he was looking straight at my boyfriend, who shuffled his feet uncomfortably. I assumed it was also because he was embarrassed to be caught like that.

“What’s up, Joaquin?” FP asked and I couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by his tone of voice. “Nothing”, my boyfriend replied, looking at the ground. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who found this situation awkward. “Kevin, you know FP, Jughead’s dad”, he introduced us. I nodded. “Yeah, we met. Kicked me out of the Whyte Wyrm.” FP still seemed completely indifferent to my presence, not even looking at me properly when he replied. “Good times. Joaquin, you wanna show me where the can is?”  
Okay, now this was getting weird. I sensed that Joaquin was uncomfortable and I didn’t understand why, because from all he had told me, he got along quite well with FP and therefore I was even more worried when he squirmed slightly, so I took over, trying to get the gang leader away from us.

“Yeah, it’s right-“ I wanted to explain, but Joaquin was already interrupting me, leading the way for FP, not without giving me an urgent look as if to tell me that it was alright and I shouldn’t follow. I stared after them for a moment, worry pooling in my stomach. Somehow it looked like my boyfriend was in trouble, but I didn’t know what he could have done and I just hoped that I wasn’t the reason for this. I lingered in the kitchen for another second, not knowing what to do with myself, before the worry took over and I followed them towards the stairs. However I was stopped by Veronica who looked like she had seen a ghost. Obviously she still wasn’t in the mood to party.

“What is that middle-aged Serpent doing at a high school kegger?” she asked. I gave her a puzzled look. “Are you serious? You don’t know, Veronica? That’s Jughead’s dad.” I was already trying to make my way past her when she processed the information. “Really?” I turned around again for a second, nodding and then I followed the two Serpents upstairs, not hearing anymore what Veronica mumbled to herself.

When I arrived at the bathroom it was empty. I looked around, confused, but I couldn’t make out the mess of black hair anywhere and that just deepened my feeling that something was entirely not right. Obviously the excuse to go the bathroom had really been just that and FP had wanted to talk to Joaquin in private, but I desperately wanted to know about what and why he had to discuss it right now, in the middle of his son’s birthday party. Couldn’t this have waited at least until tomorrow?

I felt my insides churn with worry, but I couldn’t do much anyway, even if I found them now, I certainly wouldn’t barge in on them in the middle of some sort of Serpent conversation, so I decided to look for my friends instead, finding someone to distract me from the absence of my boyfriend seemed like a good idea.

Sure enough I found everyone in the living room, arriving just in time to hear Cheryl Blossom explain her extravaganza of a party game. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her arrogant behaviour, but still this promised to be fun so I stayed, searching the room for a familiar face and of course there he was, in the corner of the room, sitting next to FP, listening intently while Cheryl went on about Veronica’s family. I didn’t really listen, it was nothing new anyway and I was too focused on getting to my boyfriend through the crowded room.

Joaquin spotted me when I was halfway across the room, a small smile spreading on his face when he moved so I could sit on the armchair he had occupied before. I wanted to say something, but Veronica had started talking and I couldn’t help but stare in awe as she destroyed Cheryl Blossom with her words, her voice remaining ice cold the whole time. “This is riveting, I can’t breathe”, I whispered to Joaquin who just kept watching silently. Apparently he was just as interested in this turn of events as I was.

But as different people kept talking, I felt more and more uneasy. This was taking a turn to the worst and I knew this was going downhill when Chuck started speaking. Nothing good ever came out of his mouth and the way Jughead’s face darkened more and more, I knew that it was just a matter of time until this would escalate. I grabbed Joaquin’s hand, catching his eye. His face displayed my feelings perfectly and I wanted to ask if we wanted to leave before everything went to hell, but it was already too late. The second I had looked at Joaquin had been enough for Jughead to lose his patience and the next moment everybody was on their feet, FP dragging Chuck out of the house, Joaquin and me following closely. I just wanted to get out of this mess as quickly as possible.

I didn’t even know where we were going, I just let Joaquin take my hand and pull me along with him, my thoughts still too caught up in everything that had happened in these last few hours. My boyfriend had been right…you really never knew what a night had in store for you.

I was brought back to reality when we both came to a halt and finally I realized where we had been going. We were standing at Sweetwater River, near the spot where I had found Jason’s body. Of course Joaquin didn’t know, but the memory still gave me chills. I turned towards him.

“Why are we here?” My boyfriend shrugged. “I didn’t know where else we could go and you mentioned it earlier. I’ve never been here with…a guy.” I nodded silently. Usually I would have been excited to be down here with Joaquin, alone in the warm night, but not today. There was too much on my mind, too many questions that clouded the air between us.

“What was that with FP earlier tonight? What did he want?” I asked the one thing that had never really left my thoughts. I saw how Joaquin avoided my eye and how he looked at his feet, but I patiently waited for his answer. “It was nothing really. He was surprised to see me, that’s all. Probably forgot we were dating.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s all? And he couldn’t have said that with me in the room?” Joaquin looked even more uneasy and I felt that he was hiding something from me and I didn’t like it at all. “FP’s a little weird with this stuff sometimes, you know…like father like son”, he joked half-heartedly, but I didn’t laugh. There was more to it and we both knew it, but I didn’t keep asking. He obviously refused to tell me and as much as this hurt me, I couldn’t change it now. Maybe one day he would decide to tell me what had really happened this night.

“So…you still okay with fooling around for a little bit?” Joaquin changed the topic and frankly, I was grateful he did, because I didn’t want to think about this disaster of a party anymore. I forced myself to smile and nodded. “Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo I know this ended on a slightly darker note, but there's just no way Kevin wouldn't be a little suspicious after this, so we have to deal with it. But tell me what you think! :)


	11. Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for leaving you hanging for this long, but here we are with some (slightly) better times!

“So, do you have anyone to go to Homecoming with?”  
I choked, dropping my fork under the table with a clatter. My dad raised an eyebrow, but handed me a glass of water and waited until I had caught my breath again and had picked up the fork, before he gave me a questioning glance. I didn’t know what to say, panic rising in my chest. Of course I had someone to go to Homecoming with, I had asked Joaquin if he wanted to come a few weeks ago already and he had said yes, much to my surprise, to be honest. I hadn’t thought that he actually wanted to go to a school dance with me, not only because he graduated years ago, but also because it wasn’t the most Serpent thing to do. However he had agreed to go with me immediately, not even hesitating and had just asked what I was wearing so he could pick something that fit my outfit (and I loved him for it).

So I went shopping with my dad (because it was the most convenient thing to do, I’d much rather went with Joaquin, but my dad had the money and the car) and picked up a new suit for the dance. This had been two weeks ago and since I saw the suit hanging in my closet every morning, I had gotten more and more nervous. I had never been to a school ball with a boyfriend and I was excited and scared at the same time. Of course my dad had noticed, mainly because I hadn’t talked about anything else in the past few days. So this was why he was staring at me at the dinner table after I nearly choked to death because of a simple question. Totally subtle, Kevin.

“Uh well, yeah, I’m going with…Veronica”, I replied finally, praying that the lie wouldn’t be detected. Dad still looked sceptical. “Is there really no one else you could go with? I’m not so fond of the Lodge girl, you know that.” I rolled my eyes. If he wasn’t fond of Veronica already, he would probably have a heart attack knowing with whom I was actually going. I didn’t say that of course, instead I gave him my best puppy eyes. “But dad, it’s not her fault what her father did, she’s nice if you get to know her. Also who else would I go with, Betty’s with Jughead now.” Dad sighed and I had to hold back a smirk. The pity-the-poor-gay-kid-card always worked with him. “Alright, Kevin, just…be careful, okay?” I shot him a smile. “I always am.”

 

The next evening I was practically bursting with nervousness. I was in my suit, ready to go and was just waiting for Joaquin to text me that he was outside. Of course not really outside of my house, but at the next corner, so my dad or any of the nosy neighbours wouldn’t see. I was just pacing through my room for the hundredth time, asking myself if I had everything, when my phone buzzed in my hand.

**I’m ready if you are, come outside.**

My heart was beating faster by the minute while I grabbed my keys and wallet, shouted a “goodbye” into the living room and closed the front door behind me. The way to the corner seemed endless, but finally I felt my breath hitch in my throat when I saw Joaquin in his black suit, sitting on his motorcycle, his eyes roaming over my body while the signature smirk played around his lips. I blinked a few times, suddenly feeling a little dizzy, before I walked faster, coming to a halt right next to him. 

“Well, hello there, Preppy”, he greeted me, still taking in my body. I felt my skin heat up under his stare. “Hi”, was everything I could get out before Joaquin leaned in to kiss me. I gasped slightly, because his kiss was rough and needy and suddenly I understood that it wasn’t only me who enjoyed seeing his boyfriend in a suit.

Way too quickly Joaquin pulled back, handing me his helmet (he still hadn’t bought a second one and if that wouldn’t change soon, I would do it for him, because I couldn’t see him driving without one). I let him close the fastener and we both smiled, because it was a tiny action that brought both of us back to our first date. Oh, how much had happened since this day. I settled behind him, my hands around his body. I remembered how scared I had been the first time and I grinned involuntarily. So much had changed.

We arrived in front of Riverdale High a few minutes later, people already streaming into the building. We earned a few glances, because not everyone arrived on a motorcycle, but I didn’t care. I had stopped caring what others thought of Joaquin and me a long time ago. We entered the school hand in hand and I asked myself what I had been so afraid of all the time. Of course some people gave us dirty looks, but Joaquin was pretty good at shooting some back and nobody dared to touch us or say something. Happiness was slowly starting to flow through my body and I pulled Joaquin with me, getting both of us something to drink.

We sat down at one of the round tables, Joaquin watching the people around us. “What is it like to be back at a school after you graduated?” I asked, because I had noticed the way my boyfriend’s thoughts seemed to drift off while he took in his surroundings. He turned to me. “Weird. A little sad. I don’t really know how to describe the feeling. But I kinda miss it.” I was surprised. “You miss high school? I’ve never looked forward to something more than graduating and finally getting out of this small town.” Joaquin smiled, but his eyes looked sad. “I do miss it, yes. I’ve never really been out of Riverdale, so that was never my goal in life and back in high school…at least you had something to do every day, had a clear idea of how your day was structured, had fixed times. This was over for me after school and that’s what I miss, I guess. Less responsibility.”

I swallowed. I sometimes forgot that my life couldn’t be compared to Joaquin’s in any way. He made me realize all too often how good we kids on the Northside had it. I took his hand from across the table, not really knowing what to say, but Joaquin understood anyway, getting to his feet and pulling me up with him. “But let’s not talk about my life, this is your evening and your high school experience, so…you wanna dance?”

I followed my boyfriend onto the dance floor, a relatively slow song was playing and we had to fight our way through a few slow-dancing couples until he stopped and turned around, facing me. He looked gorgeous in the dim light with his hair slicked back so carefully and his suit hugging his body so perfectly and when his hands found my hips and he started to move my body to the music, I felt like I could burst with happiness and gratefulness. I got to be at a school dance with my boyfriend, my first love, and we were dancing in the middle of other couples and it was perfect. I wished this evening could last forever.

But of course it didn’t. And this was getting very clear all of a sudden when Jughead approached us, looking stressed somehow. “Sorry to interrupt, but have you seen Betty anywhere?” I told him everything I knew which was not a lot, only that I had seen her heading out into the hall before. Jughead nodded and left in that direction and both Joaquin’s and my eyes followed him until I suddenly felt my boyfriend go stiff under my touch and I instantly knew why, because there was my dad, standing near the door, talking urgently to Mayor McCoy. Something wasn’t right and we both knew it so I didn’t have to say anything when I left Joaquin on the dancefloor, heading over to my dad.  
“Dad, what are you doing here, is something wrong?” I asked while still walking towards him. He looked up, his eyes seeming tired. “We just arrested the person who we think killed Jason Blossom.” I wanted to say something, but it felt like the words got stuck in my throat and then everything burst out of me at once. “Who? And why, how did you suddenly know who did it?”

“We received an anonymous tip that told us to search FP Jones’ trailer and there…we found the gun that was used to kill Jason.”

I felt like the world around me went quiet for a second. FP Jones. The only thing I could think of was Joaquin, how he had always protected FP and told me what a good person he actually was and now he had been arrested and not just because he was some random suspect, but because he had the murder weapon in his trailer. This looked bad. I needed to find Jughead.

“Kevin!” Dad yelled after me, but I was already gone, headed around the corner into the hall, looking for Jughead who was probably with Betty by now. Finally I saw them, Jughead standing across from Betty, Archie and Veronica. Great, all in one place. At least I only had to say this once.

“My dad just told Mayor McCoy about your dad, Jughead.” He turned around, confusion written all over his face. “What about my dad?” I swallowed. “He was just arrested. For the murder of Jason Blossom.”


	12. Let lips do what hands do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so here's a chapter I'm pretty nervous about, but I reeaally hope you'll enjoy!

I exhaled, letting my head fall onto Joaquin’s shoulder while we walked. I felt exhausted. Jughead had run away and my dad was at the station, already interrogating FP and everyone else had been dragged home by their parents too. It was just me who was left at school and naturally I hadn’t felt like dancing anymore so I had called Joaquin and he had been there in a few minutes, making me want to tell him to stop speeding, but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to do it, I just let him drive us home and now we had reached my front door, Joaquin waiting for me patiently while I fumbled with the keys.

When we finally fell onto my bed next to each other and my boyfriend pulled me into a hug, I felt the night’s tension slowly leave my body and I relaxed into Joaquin’s embrace. “What do you think?” I asked quietly. I didn’t have to elaborate for him to know what I meant. I heard him sigh. “I don’t know what to think anymore”, Joaquin just replied and I could sense the hurt in his voice. FP’s arrest must have been even more of a shock for him than for the rest of us and I felt sorry for him, because he had trusted the man so much.

I sat up on my elbows so I could face him. “I wish I could do anything to make it better.” My boyfriend smiled, his eyes glinting with affection. “I wish you could too. But the only thing we can do is try not to think about it. At least not tonight. This is supposed to be your special Homecoming night with your boyfriend after all.”

And before I could say anything, he caught my lips in a soft kiss, his hand on the back of my head pulling me closer. I felt myself melt into the kiss, slowly deepening it until Joaquin’s hands started roaming over my body, pushing me onto the bed gently so he could climb on top of me. My fingers were already buried in his long hair before his lips found mine again and when he bit my lower lip playfully, I couldn’t help but tug at his hair and then- “Fuck, Kevin”. My stomach fluttered at the low groan. “That’s the plan”, I whispered without thinking, a smile playing around my lips. Joaquin instantly stopped moving above me, his face hovering inches over mine. And that was when I realized what I had just said. But I also realized that I didn’t want to take it back.

“Wait, Kevin, are you sure you want to do this? I mean…with me?” Joaquin looked at me, worry in his eyes. I cupped his face in my hands and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “I am completely sure. I wouldn’t want this with anybody else. I love you, Joaquin.” The worry faded from his face and instead a smile tugged on his lips. “I love you too, Kevin.”

Now it was his turn to kiss me and he did, slowly and softly. It felt different than his usual kisses, more intense in a way, because this time we were both aware that we wouldn’t stop, that we would go all the way.

I deepened the kiss, not wanting to wait any longer, letting my tongue explore Joaquin’s mouth while I took off his shirt. His skin felt hot under my fingertips and he leaned into my touch, dominating the kiss now. I felt his heartbeat quicken and his breath hitch for a second when I brushed over the bulge in his pants lightly. Joaquin’s hand found their way into my hair, holding me in place and pulling my head back while he kissed a trail down my neck, biting the sensitive skin carefully until he reached my collarbone. I had to hold back a strangled moan when I felt him suck, surely leaving a mark. The thought that I would be able to see his claim on my body for the next few days made my stomach flutter.

My boyfriend’s lips travelled lower, peppering my chest with tiny kisses until he finally reached the waistband of my pants. I raised my hips slightly, allowing him to open my belt and slide the dress pants down my legs. I wanted nothing more than him to keep going, but Joaquin came up to face me again, smirk playing around his lips when he saw the frustrated look in my eyes. “Patience is a virtue, Preppy”, he teased, palming me through my underwear. I just groaned, half in annoyance, half out of lust. We had waited so long for this that these last minutes almost became unbearable. I felt like my whole body was burning under his touch, but I craved more, it was never enough.

Apparently Joaquin’s self-control was much better than mine though, because I felt his arousal pressing into my thigh, but he was still teasing me, only lightly brushing over my erection and pressing tiny kisses on my neck until I squirmed underneath him, bucking up into his hands. “God, Joaquin”, I moaned when he licked a stripe right under my ear, a place where he knew I was sensitive. He just chuckled. Okay, this was enough. He wasn’t making me suffer any longer!

His startled yelp made me smirk this time as I suddenly sat up and turned us around, settling above him, watching in awe how flushed his face was and how his pupils dilated when he saw me on top of him. “Enough with the teasing, don’t you think?” I asked huskily before I caught his lips in a rough kiss, my hands already opening his pants and pulling it down together with his underwear. I felt Joaquin gasp into my mouth when I gripped his cock and I felt a rush of power surge me. I loved seeing him like this, underneath me, eyes closed and lips opened just a little, completely vulnerable. It only fuelled my own lust to feel his fingers grip my hair, pulling just a little too hard, but still so good.

The movements of my hand became sloppier just like our kiss, teeth clanking together, hard breaths mixing between us. Finally I pulled away, giving him one last smirk before I leaned back on my heels, moving further down my bed until my face was hovering exactly over Joaquin’s throbbing erection. I knew he could feel my hot breath and that it was driving him crazy to not just thrust upwards to meet my mouth, but I loved to make him wait before I actually went to work, pressing soft kisses to the inside of his thigh. Finally I had mercy on him, not wanting to draw this out any longer myself and gently licked a stripe along the underside of his cock. Joaquin’s quiet groan was confirmation enough that he had been just as eager as I was, so I decided to not play games anymore and finally let him slide completely into my mouth, hollowing my cheeks as I let my tongue swirl around the head. I felt Joaquin’s hand grip my hair again, slowly pushing me down until I couldn’t take anymore before he pulled my head up again.

I looked up, finding my boyfriend’s eyes and gave him a small nod before I relaxed my neck and just let him set the pace. I knew how much Joaquin loved it to just thrust into my mouth at his own rhythm and I allowed him to do it, occasionally swallowing around him or flicking my tongue against his tip. I looked up again, moaning around his cock when I saw the thin layer of sweat on Joaquin’s forehead and his flushed cheeks. I had never seen anyone look so good during sex.

His eyes caught mine and he made a strangled noise before gripping my hair harder and pulling me up again, kissing me roughly, tasting himself on my tongue. “You’re so fucking good at this, Kevin, god”, he rasped shakily. I just shoved our hips together, making both of us shiver. “You still sure?” Joaquin breathed into my ear, sending a shudder down my back. “Of course I am”, I replied, my voice sounding much too needy. I felt my boyfriend nod shortly and heard him grab the bottle of lube and a heartbeat later, his hand roamed down my body, gripping my cock and giving it a few sloppy strokes before he found my entrance, circling it, making me relax before he slowly pushed his finger in, causing me to moan quietly.

I pushed back against his finger, a silent plea for more and Joaquin happily obeyed, adding a second digit. I felt the familiar burn of being stretched and bit back another moan when my boyfriend started to move his fingers, pushing in and out of me, his light thrusts getting faster and faster until I rutted my hips, matching his pace. Joaquin watched my face, I felt his gaze on my skin, carefully waiting for any sign that I might not enjoy what he was doing, but I had closed my eyes in bliss, savouring every move.

I had mixed feelings when Joaquin slowly removed his fingers, giving me a questioning look. On the one hand, I was desperate and needy, wanting him inside me more than anything else, but on the other hand, nervousness spread in my belly, making me swallow. So this was really it, we were going to do it. As if he could see my inner conflict written all over my face, Joaquin cupped my face in his hands, resting his forehead against mine. “We don’t have to do this, baby, if you want to stop here, we can.” I kissed him, slowly, passionately and he reciprocated the kiss just as softly and just like that my nervousness seemed to fade, leaving a warm, burning feeling in my lower belly. “No. I want this. Please, Joaquin, just…do it.” My voice sounded steady, certain and he nodded, pressing a last short kiss to my lips before he turned us around, leaving me resting on my stomach while he settled on top of me. I heard him open the bottle of lube again and my stomach fluttered.

My breath caught in my throat when I felt his erection nudging against my entrance, but I focused on the feeling of having him on top of me, his warm skin pressing against my back, capturing me between his body and the bedsheets. “Relax, baby”, he breathed into my ear and I obeyed, purposely relaxing every muscle and then he slowly pushed inside me. I had to strangle a moan when I felt him stretching me, easing himself into me inch for inch and I felt like he was getting bigger by the second, but suddenly it was over and he just slid inside me, staying completely still. I exhaled.

“Are you alright?” Joaquin asked quietly, his voice strained and I knew that it took every bit of his self-control to not just thrust into me, but stay still and let me adjust to his size. I nodded slowly, moving my hips a little, getting used to the unfamiliar feeling. “Move, please”, I said, my skin prickling where I felt him touch it. Joaquin did as he was told, pulling out slowly before he waited a moment. I bucked my hips impatiently and then there he was, thrusting inside me and I let out a choked groan, involuntarily clenching my fist in the bedsheets.

“Is that good?” I heard my boyfriend’s ragged voice and I rolled my eyes with a smile. “It would be if you stopped asking after every stroke and just fucked me”, I replied teasingly. A low growl was the only warning I received before Joaquin finally started to bury himself deep inside me, setting a fast pace, making me cry out and arch my back, wanting more. The feeling was incredible and I couldn’t do anything but moan and try to match his rhythm, rubbing my throbbing erection against the bedsheets in the process. I felt myself getting closer to my climax and I was almost sorry, because I wanted this to last so much longer, but I heard Joaquin’s groans and the quiet curses he muttered under his breath and I felt his thrusts getting sloppier, losing their pace and I knew that he was close too so I didn’t hold back, feeling the heat pool in my lower abdomen and then it only took a few more thrusts and Joaquin gripping my hair, pulling my head back to bite the skin of my shoulder gently and I felt the tight coil in my belly snap and with a desperate moan of my boyfriend’s name I came all over the bedsheets. I felt like I was dissolving into pure pleasure, letting the aftershocks of my orgasm run through my body.

I felt Joaquin shudder above me, his thrusts getting harder and his voice breaking and then he went completely still and all I could hear was a quiet whimper before he gripped my hand that had been resting next to his and came with a growl, muttering a string of curse words, the few that I caught being “Jesus, fuck, Kevin, oh God”.

He collapsed on top of me, his breathing ragged. I was still recovering from my own orgasm, therefore I enjoyed the silence that spread between us while we were just laying on my bed, tangled up in each other, both enjoying the electricity than still ran through our veins. Finally Joaquin moved slightly, resting his head on my shoulder, running his fingers through my hair. I shivered involuntarily, my body seemed to be much more sensitive than usual. “I love you, Kevin”, he murmured, pressing a kiss to my neck. I turned my head, catching his gaze. “I love you even more.”

This night Joaquin stayed and we slept holding onto each other’s bodies, skin on skin, as close as we could get. Despite everything that had happened it had been one of the best nights of my life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm kinda sorry that this turned out to be so long, but I'm unable to shorten stuff like this so you had to deal with it. However I hoped you liked the way I let this go, tell me what you guys think! :)


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